"...."
As his vision returned, Dante was back to the first room, touching his neck with his shaky hands, feeling a phantom pain where the blade cut him.
'Hell… I'm in hell…' Dante thought as tears started forming in his eyes, but almost instantly, he bit his lip and steeled his mind.
Although all that was too much for him, his survival instincts helped him stay sane and think clearly in that situation. He had many things to worry about.
'Run to the gate again, and avoid that damn trap!'
As he was ready to run, he remembered something: 'Wait, mana can enhance the body. That may help me.'
Dante focused on his brain—where his mana was stored—and channeled the mana it contained through his veins into his legs.
His legs were covered and infused with mana from the inside and outside, filling them with power beyond Dante's imagination.
That was only a small boost, but it was enough for now.
But as he pressed on the ground, trying to run forward, he used more force than necessary and stumbled, crashing onto the floor.
'Focus!'
Gritting his teeth, he began to move step by step first. When he was used to his new strength, he finally began to run.
As Dante reached the trap he fell into before, he simply jumped over it. But when he finally felt some relief…
Click!
…Another trap activated under him.
'No—!'
Swish!
Cutting his thoughts off, a few ragged spears burst out of the ground, suspending him in the air with many of them piercing his body.
Against the unbearable pain, his mind went blank.
Dante couldn't even scream, only coughing mouthfuls of blood while helplessly feeling his body slowly pressing on the spears due to gravity.
Slowly, gradually, and painfully, the spears dug inside him.
'Please… anything.'
Dante begged inwardly, for any miracle to save him, but unfortunately, nothing happened.
Eventually, one spear reached his heart, ending his pain in a few seconds.
11 lives remained.
¢¢¢
"...."
Dante stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened.
In his first life, he didn't have a phone, and because of his uncle, he couldn't watch TV either. His knowledge about fantasy and magic was all from hearing the people and kids around him.
Even Fafnir had only fought wild beasts, thus his memories didn't help much.
Not once in his life did he imagine anything like a walking skeleton wielding a sword.
Not once in his life did he imagine spears bursting out of the ground.
Everything Dante had encountered until now was new to him, leading it to be even more shocking.
Remembering his last and most painful death, Dante felt a sudden burning rise in his throat—then he vomited.
This time, he didn't die with a clean strike, but several spears kept digging into his body slowly and painfully until he died.
That was too much for a 15-year-old boy, even after everything that he endured until now.
After vomiting everything that was in his stomach, he gazed at the corridor, his eyes almost lifeless, and moved forward slowly.
'...I only have to be careful. I won't die again.'
The first trap wasn't a problem anymore, and when he found the second, he moved to the side and passed behind it.
Then, he stopped rushing and began to move carefully, scanning everything in his way.
As expected, there were many suspicious slabs on the ground and even some hidden threads. If he wasn't careful, he would have fallen into one of them.
'Who the hell made this place? And why?' Dante wondered as he leapt above another thread.
But all of a sudden, a strange light came from his back.
Dante turned around, his eyes widening as he saw a flaming axe flying toward him.
It was the barbarian woman!
Immediately, Dante sidestepped, but he was too late to save his left hand as the axe severed it cleanly, and the flames burned his flesh.
'Damn it!'
The intense pain overwhelmed him, feeling only fire where his hand had been, but unlike before…
He didn't scream.
Although he wanted to, he couldn't afford to waste even a second on this.
Dante bit his lower lip firmly until it started bleeding, stopping himself from losing his mind as he pointed his index at the darkness.
After dying repeatedly in such a short time, his mind started to adapt rapidly.
Adapting to pain. Adapting to fear. Adapting to his new memories. Adapting to death!
Every time he cried and screamed instead of struggling, he ended up dying. He had to change and adapt if he wanted to survive!
"Oh Darling, did you miss me?" The barbarian finally appeared in his sight, holding her second axe and looking at Dante with amusement.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dante immediately shot three demonic bullets at her, enhancing his hand this time to resist the recoil and fix his aim!
The barbarian didn't panic—she covered her axe in flames and spun it, cutting all bullets to pieces, confusion appearing across her face: 'What are these crimson bullets? Does he have a third aspect?'
"Shit!" Dante aimed for her head and used another spell.
Demonic Shadow Spell — Demonic Shadow Bullet.
Using Shadow Aspect, he shot four bullets and ran away without waiting to see what would happen.
Without hesitation, he enhanced his legs with both mana and demonic energy. Why would he care about corruption at this point?
Click!
Unfortunately, due to his hurry, he pressed on another trap.
The ground beneath him clenched his foot like a bear trap, cutting it off brutally and causing him to fall. Simultaneously, an arrow came out of nowhere and hit his shoulder.
"Arghh!" Dante let out a groan of pain, but he continued to persevere.
He crawled.
Using his fingers, using his nails, using his remaining leg, using his elbows, using his knees, and using his entire body—he persevered and crawled.
'I'll overcome my bad luck. I can do it this time. I can live and have a happy life this time!'
Repeating those thoughts in his mind, he stayed sane despite the pain.
All of a sudden, the barbarian reached him and kicked his side, forcing him to lay on his back.
'Fuck!'
Through his blurry vision, he saw the amused smile he hated most. It only brought bad memories into his mind, both old and fresh.
The barbarian spoke: "Thank you for finding this for me. If I find something good here, I'll remember you by turning your beautiful eyes into a necklace."
As she finished her familiar phrase, she swung her flaming axe down, but before it could hit Dante…
Clank!
"Hmm?"
Dante caught the axe between his teeth, enhancing them alongside his jaw and ignoring the flames that burned his mouth and lips
Then, glared at the barbarian with intense fury: 'You… you will regret it!'
Since he had transmigrated into this cursed body he never asked for, she had always been the main threat to him.
For some stupid money, she killed him and Fafnir several times like a wolf hunting a rabbit.
If not for her, he wouldn't have died all these painful deaths.
If not for her, he wouldn't have been here.
If not for her, he would have either found peace, gone to heaven, or received a second chance!
'You damn bitch! Who gave you the right to treat me like an animal? Who gave you the right to kill me? Who gave you the right to turn my life into hell?!'
'Eventually… my misfortune will ruin your life too!'
Unlike Fafnir whose fear grew with each death, it was the opposite in Dante's case.
At this moment, his pain only fuelled his ambition and resolve. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to make that woman regret.
The first time he saw her, he died instantly. But now, he was still struggling, using magic to shoot magical bullets and clench her axe between his teeth.
For him, that was enough to give him all hope he needed.
Finally, his teeth broke under the barbarian's force as the axe split his skull in half.
10 lives remained.